Category: Dharma sharing, inspirations, wisdom, poetry

The mind is easy to influence, easy to confuse, It’s hard to keep steady, hard to hold down. Also, not only is the mind difficult to grasp, it can be shaken up if lightly disturbed and one can flee from desires only if one can control their thoughts. Only a wise person can correct this. The mind is hard to be conscious of, A wise person is good controlling their mind in a subtle way. A person who is well-controlled soon gains real comfort and peace of mind.

– contributed by Jong-Gun Sunim, Myosim-sa Buddhist Temple

꽃은 바람을 거슬러서 향기를 낼 수 없지만, 선하고 어진 사람이 풍기는 향기는 바람을 거슬러 사방으로 퍼진다.

The scent of flowers cannot go against the wind and neither can that of sandalwood, rhododendron or jasmine. Only the reputation of virtuous people can go against the wind. The reputation of the virtuous is wafted in all directions.

There are the scents of sandalwood, rhododendron, lotus and jasmine, but the scent of virtue surpasses all scents.

Waking Up to Our Deep Interconnectedness

Back around the beginning of March, when the early economic effects of the new coronavirus shutdown in Wuhan were becoming apparent in New Zealand, an old Zen/Chan saying came to mind:

When the cows of Huaizhou eat grain,The stomachs of the horses in Yizhou get fat.

Or, we could say, “When a person in Wuhan sneezes, a forestry worker in Gisborne loses her job”. Six weeks on, millions of people around the world are now caught up in the Covid-19 pandemic. Amid all the suffering and uncertainty there is the possibility that we humans, forced to slow down and stay quietly at home, will wake up to our deep interconnectedness and shared vulnerability, and perhaps question what is of most value in our lives. We may come to appreciate the words of the great lay practitioner Vimalakirti: “I am sick because sentient beings are sick.”

Wise Fear vs Foolish Fear

The Buddha made it clear that there are legitimate dangers in the world, and there is a wise way to respond to them. He also said there is a great amount of self-created fear that unnecessarily creates suffering for ourselves and others. As the coronavirus … Continue reading